chapter 26 lecture - oak park independent · 10/28/16 1 chapter 26 ... conquest of continent iv....

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Chapter 26TheGreatWestandtheAgriculturalRevolution,1865–1896

Presented by:

Mr. Anderson, M.Ed., J.D.

I.TheClashofCulturesonthePlains

• Clashbetween Indians andadvancingwhitepioneers:– Migrationandconflict:

• ComanchesdroveApachesoffcentralplainsintoupperRioGrandevalleyin18th century

• HarriedbyMandansandChippewas,theCheyennehadabandonedvillagesalongMississippiandMissouriRiversacenturybeforetheCivilWar

• TheSioux,displacedfromGreatLakeswoodlandsinthe18th centuryemergedontotheplainstopreyuponCrows,Kiowas,andPawnees

I.TheClashofCultures onthePlains (cont.)

– Whitesoldiersandsettlersontheplains:• AcceleratedfatefulcycleoffierceenmitiesamongIndians

• UltimatelyunderminedfoundationsofNativeAmericanculture

• Spreadcholera,typhoid,andsmallpoxamongnativepeoplesoftheplains,withdevastatingresults

• Putpressureonsteadilyshrinkingbisonpopulationbyhuntingandbygrazingtheirlivestockonprairiegrasses

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– Federalgovernment:• TriedtopacifyPlainsIndiansbysigningtreatieswith“chiefs” ofvarious“tribes” atFortLaramie(1851)andatFortAtkinson(1853)

• Treatiesmarkedbeginningsofreservationsystem intheWest:

– Established boundaries forterritory ofeach tribe– Attempted toseparate Indians into great“colonies” tonorthandsouth ofacorridor of intended white settlement

– White treatymakers:» Misunderstood both Indiangovernment and Indiansociety


» “Tribes” and “chiefs” often fictions ofwhite imagination» ManyNativeAmericans recognized onlyauthority oftheirimmediate families orabandelder

» Nomadic cultureofPlains Indians utterly alien toconceptofliving outone's life inconfinement ofadefined territory

• In1860sfederalgovernmentintensifiedpolicyandherdedIndiansintostill-smallerconfines:

– Principally “GreatSioux reservation” inDakotaTerritory andIndian Territory (present-day Oklahoma)

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– Indianssurrenderedancestrallands:• WhentheyreceivedsolemnpromisesfromWashington:

– Theywould be left alone– Theywould beprovided food, clothing, andother supplies

• Regretfully,federalIndianagentsoftenverycorrupt• FormorethanadecadeaftertheCivilWar:

– Fiercewarfare between Indians andU.S.Armyraged in variouspartofWest (seeMap26.1)

– ManyArmy troops were immigrants– Fully 1/5ofallU.S.Armypersonnel were African American—dubbed “Buffalo Soldiers” byIndians

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II.RecedingNativePopulation

– IndianwarsinWestoftensavageclashes:• AtSandCreek,Colorado(1864),ColonelJ.M.Chivington'smilitiamassacred400Indians

• Womenshotprayingformercy• Childrenhadbrainsdashedout• Bravestortured,scalped,andmutilated

– Crueltybegotcruelty• “Fetterman'sannihilation” in1866wasviolentslaughterof81whitesbySioux

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Map 26-1 p577

II.RecedingNativePopulation(cont.)

• Fettermanmassacreledtooneofthefew(thoughshort-lived)Indiantriumphsinplainswars:

– Battle of theLittle Bighorn

• TreatyofFortLaramie(1868):– Government abandoned Bozeman Trail– “GreatSioux reservation” guaranteed toSiouxTribes

• 1874anotherroundofwarfarewithPlainsIndians:– Custer led “scientific” expedition into BlackHills, SouthDakotaandannounced he found gold

– Hordes ofgreedygold-seekers swarmed into Sioux lands

– Sioux, Cheyenne, andArapaho Indians took towarpath,inspired bySitting Bull


– GeneralCuster'sseventhCavalry• SetouttosuppressIndiansandreturnthemtoreservation

• Attacked2,500well-armedwarriorsalongLittleBighornRiverinpresent-dayMontana

• “WhiteChiefwithYellowHair” andhis250officersandmencompletelywipedoutin1876

• Indians' victoryshort-lived• ArmyhunteddownIndianswhohadhumiliatedCuster

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• In1877abandofNezPerceIndiansinnortheasternOregongoadedintoflight

– When U.S.authorities tried toherd themontoa reservation– Chief Joseph surrendered withhis 700 Indians afteratortuous,1,700 mile threemonth trekacrossContinental Divide towardCanada

– Nezsent todusty reservation in Kansas, where 40% died fromdisease

– Survivors eventually allowed to return to Idaho

• FierceApachetribesofArizonaandNewMexicoledbyGeronimomostdifficulttosubdue:

– Pursued intoMexico byU.S.troops


– Federal troops used sunflashing heliography, acommunicationdevice that impressed Indians as“bigmedicine”

– Scattered remnants ofwarriors finally persuaded tosurrenderafterApache women exiled toFlorida

– Apaches ultimately becamesuccessful farmers in Oklahoma

• Relentlessfire-and-swordpolicyofwhitesatlastshatteredspiritofIndians:

» Vanquished Indians ghettoized on reservations» Compelled tosullen existence aswards ofgovernment


• “Taming” ofIndiansengineeredby:– Federal government's willingness toback its landclams withmilitary force

– Railroad, which shot an iron arrow through heartofWest» Locomotives could transport unlimited numbers oftroops, farmers, cattlemen, sheepherders, andsettlers

– Indians ravagedbywhite people's disease, towhich theyhad little resistance, andby firewater, which theycouldresist even less

– Virtual extermination ofbuffalo doomed Plains Indians'nomadic wayoflife

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III.BellowingHerdsofBison

• Buffalo—– Tensofmillions—describedas“hunchbackcows”—blackenedwesternprairies,whenwhiteAmericansfirstarrived:• ShaggyanimalsstaffoflifeforNativeAmericans:

– Their flesh provided food– Their hides provided clothes, lariats, and harnesses

– Their dried dungprovided “buffalo chips”

• WhenCivilWarended,15millionofthesemeatybeastsstillgrazedonwesternplains

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III.BellowingHerdsofBison(cont.)

• Effectofrailroads:– Hadsometimes towaitup toeight hours forherd ofbuffalotocross tracks

– Muchof foodsupply for railroad construction gangscamefrombuffalo steaks

– William “Buffalo Bill” Codykilled over4,000 animals in18months while employed byKansas Pacific

• Withthebuildingoftherailroad:– Themassacre ofherds began inearnest

– Creatures slain forhides, tongues, oramusement– “Sportsmen” on trains leaned out windows andblazedawayatanimals

II.BellowingHerdsofBison(cont.)

– Wholesale butchery left fewer thana thousand buffalo aliveby1885

– Once-numerous beasts in dangerofcomplete extinction– Shocking exampleofgreedandwaste thataccompanied conquest ofcontinent

IV.TheEndoftheTrail

• By1880s, national conscience begantostiruneasilyoverplight ofIndians:– HelenHuntJackson:

• PrickedmoralsenseofAmericansin1881withACenturyofDishonor:

– Chronicled sorry recordofgovernment ruthlessness andchicanery in dealing with Indians

• Ramona(1884):– Lovestory about discrimination against California Indians– Inspired sympathy for Indians

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IV.TheEndoftheTrail(cont.)

• Debateseesawed:– HumanitarianswantedtotreatIndianskindlyandpersuadethemto“walkthewhiteman'sroad”

– Hard-linersinsistedoncurrentpolicyofforcedcontainmentandbrutalpunishment

– Neither siderespectedNativeAmericanculture– Christianreformers:

• Oftenadministerededucationalfacilitiesonreservations


• SometimeswithheldfoodtoforceIndianstogiveuptribalreligionsandassimilatetowhitesociety

• In1884zealouswhitesoulsjoinedwithmilitarytopersuadeU.S.governmenttooutlawsacredSunDance

– BattleofWoundedKnee:• In1880when“GhostDance” cultspreadtoDakotaSioux,armybloodilystampeditout

• Inthefighting,anestimated200men,women,andchildrenkilled

• Aswellas29invadingsoldiers


• DawesSeveraltyAct (1887):– MisbegottenoffspringofmovementtoreformIndianpolicy

– Reflectingforced-civilizationviewofreformers:• Actdissolvedmanytribesaslegalentities• Wipedouttribalownershipofland• SetupindividualIndianfamilyheadswith160freeacres

• IfIndiansbehavedlike“goodwhitesettlers,” theywouldgetfulltitletoholdingsaswellascitizenshipin25years

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– Former reservationlandnotallottedtoIndiansunderDawesAct:• Soldtorailroadsandwhitesettlers• Withproceedsusedbyfederalgovernmenttoeducateand“civilize” nativepeoples:

– Government-funded Carlisle IndianSchool inPennsylvaniawhere NativeAmerican children were:

» Separated fromtheir tribes» TaughtEnglish

» Inculcatedwith white values andcustoms– In1890s government expanded its network of Indianboarding schools:


– Sent“field matrons” to reservations:» To teachNativeAmerican women artofsewing» Topreach virtues ofchastityand hygiene

– DawesAct:• Struckdirectlyattribalorganization:

– Tried tomake rugged individualists outof Indians– Ignored traditional reliance of Indianculture on tribally heldland

– By1900 Indians had lost 50% of the156million acres theyheld (seeMap26.2)

• Forced-assimilationdoctrineofDawesActremainedcornerstoneofgovernmentpolicyfordecades


• IndianReorganization Act(“Indian NewDeal”)of1934:– Partiallyreversed individualisticapproach– Tried torestoretribalbasisofIndianlife(seeChap.32)

– Indianpopulationstartedtorecoverslowly:• Totalnumberreducedby1887toabout243,000—theresultsofbullets,bottles,bacteria

• Censusof2000countedmorethan1.5millionNativeAmericans,urbanandrural

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V.Mining:FromDishpantoOreBreaker

• Conquest ofIndiansandtherailroads werelife-givingboons tomining frontier:

• GoldengravelofCaliforniacontinuedtoyield“paydirt”• In1858anelectrifyingdiscoveryconvulsedonColorado

– Avid “fifty-niners” or“Pikes Peakers” rushed toRockies, buttherewere moreminers than minerals

– Manygold-grubbers with “Pikes PeakorBust” inscribed oncoveredwagons going, creakedbackwith “Busted, byGosh”

– Somestayed tostrip awaysilver deposits– Others to farmgrain

Map 26-2 p581

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V.Mining:FromDishpan toOreBreaker(cont.)

• “Fifty-niners” alsopouredintoNevadain1859:– After fabulous Comstock Lodediscovered– Gold andsilver worth about $340million mined by“Kings oftheComstock,” 1860-1890

– Scantilypopulated state ofNevada, “child ofComstock Lode”:» Prematurely railroaded into Union in 1864» Partly toprovide 3electoral votes forPresident Lincoln

• Montana,Idaho,andotherwesternstates:– “Luckystrikes” drewfranticgold andsilver seekers– Boomtowns or“Helldoradoes” sprouted upondesert sands– Every thirdcabin asaloon

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– Lynchlaw andvigilante justice tried topreserve crudesemblance oforder

– When “diggings” petered out, gold-seekers decamped,leaving “ghost towns”—Virginia City,Nevada

– Begun with aboom, these towns ended with awhimper

• Ageofbusinesscametominingindustry:– Impersonal corporations with costlymachinery and trainedengineers replaced formerminers and mining

– Once-independent gold-washer became just another daylaborer

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• Miningfrontier playedvitalrolein conqueringcontinent:– Magnet-like,itattackedpopulationandwealth

• WhileadvertisingwondersofWildWest

– Womenandmenfoundopportunities• Runningboardinghousesorworkingasprostitutes• Withfrontierequality,womenwonrighttovote:

– Wyoming (1869), Utah (1870), Colorado (1893), Idaho(1896)—long before women inEastcould vote


– Amassingpreciousmetals:• HelpedfinanceCivilWar• Facilitatedbuildingrailroads• IntensifiedbitterconflictbetweenwhitesandIndians• EnabledTreasurytoresumespeciepayments(1879)• InjectedsilverissueintoAmericanpolitics

– MiningfrontieraddedtoAmericanfolkloreandliterature:BretHarteandMarkTwain

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VI.BeefBonanzasandtheLongDrive

• Problem ofcattle marketingonPlains:– Howtogetcattletomarket:

• Solvedbytranscontinentalrailroads• Cattlecouldnowbeshippedlivetostockyards• Under“beefbarons” likeSwiftsandArmours:

– Highly industrialized meatpacking business sprang intoexistence asamain pillar ofeconomy

– Ingigantic stockyards atKansas CityandChicago,meatpackers shipped freshproducts toEastCoast innewlyperfected refrigerator cars

VI.BeefBonanzasandtheLongDrive(cont.)

– Spectacularfeederofnewslaughterhouseswas“LongDrive” (seeMap26.3)• Texascowboys(black,white,andMexican)droveherdsof1,000to10,000cattleoverunfencedandunpeopledplainstoarailroadterminal

• Beastsgrazedenrouteonfreegovernmentgrass• Favoriteterminalpointswereflyspecked“cowtown”• SteerwaskinginCattleKingdomrichlycarpetedwithgrass.LushgrassmadeLongDriveprofitable

• 1866-1888,morethanfourmillioncattlemovedbyLongDrive


• RailroadsmadeLongDrive,andrailroadsunmadeLongDrive

• Samerailsthatborecattlefromopenrangebroughtouthomesteadersandsheepherders:

– Intruders too numerous tobecutdown bycowboys– Terrible winter of1886-1887 left thousands ofcattlestarving and freezing

• Overexpansionandovergrazingtooktoll,ascowboysslowlygavewaytoplowboysOnlyescape for stockmenwas tomakecattle-raising abigbusiness andavoidperils ofoverproduction

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– Breeders learned:» To fence their ranches and lay inwinter feed» Importprize bulls; produce fewerandmeatier animals

» Toorganize: Wyoming Stock-Growers' Association (1880s)virtually controlled state and its legislature

• Heydayofcowboys:– Equipment ofcowhand serveduseful purpose

– Could justifiably boast ofhis toughness– Bowlegged Knights ofSaddle becamepartofAmerican folklore– Manycowboys were blacks, whoenjoyed freedom ofopen range

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Map 26-3 p585

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VII.TheFarmers' Frontier

• Sobersodbuster wrote finalchapter offrontier history:

• HomesteadAct(1862):– Allowed asettler toacquire asmuchas160acresof land (aquarter-section) by living on it for fiveyears, improving it,andpaying nominal feeofabout$30

• Markeddrasticdeparturefrompreviouspolicy:– Before act,public landhad beensold for revenue– Nowgiven away toencourage rapid filling ofemptyspace– Provide stimulus to family farm—“backbone ofdemocracy”

VII.TheFarmers' Frontier(cont.)

– Agodsend to farmerswho couldnot afford tobuy largeholdings

– About 500,000 families tookadvantageofHomestead Acttocarveout newhomes

– Yetfive times thatmany families purchased land fromrailroads, landcompanies, or states (see Figure26.1)

• HomesteadActoftenturnedouttobeacruelhoax– Standard 160acres frequently proved inadequate on rain-scarceGreatPlains

– Thousands ofhomesteaders forced togiveup struggleagainst drought

Figure 26-1 p586

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– Fraudspawned byHomestead Actandsimilar laws:» More landgained byspeculators, than actual farmers

» Corporations used “dummy” homesteaders tograb best properties

» Settlers would swear theyhad “improved” property byerecting a“twelve by fourteen” dwelling, which turnedout tomeasure twelve by fourteenth inches

• RailroadsplayedmajorroleindevelopingagriculturalWest:

– Largely through profitable marketing ofcrops– Railroad companies induced Americans and Europeanimmigrants tobuycheap land


– “Sodbusters” built homes fromverysod theydug fromground– Somepushed fartheronto marginal lands beyond 100th meridian– Area separated twoclimatological regions:

» Awell-watered area toeast» Asemiarid area towest (seeMap26.4)

– Manywent brokewest of100th meridian

• “Dryfarming” eventuallytookrootonplains:– Shallow cultivation supposedly adapted toarid West

– Overtime, “dry farming” created finely pulverized surfacesoil– Contributed tonotorious “Dust Bowl” later (seeChap. 32)

Map 26-4 p587

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VII.TheFarmer'sFrontier(cont.)

– Otheradaptationstowesternenvironmentsmoresuccessful:• ToughstrainsofwheatimportedfromRussia• Wisefarmersabandonedcornforsorghumandgrains• Barbedwire,perfectedbyJosephF.Glidden(1874),solvedproblemofbuildingfencesontreelessplains

• FederallyfinancedirrigationprojectscausedGreatAmericanDeserttobloom:

– Arching dams tamedMissouri andColumbia Rivers– 45million acres irrigated in17western states

VII.TheFarmer'sFrontier(cont.)

• HydraulicengineershadmoretodowithshapingmodernWestthanalltrappers,miners,cavalrymen,andcowboys(seeMap26.5)

Map 26-5 p588

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VIII.TheFarWestComesofAge• GreatWestexperienced fantastic surgeinmigration from 1870sto1890s:– ParadeofnewwesternstatesjoinedUnion:

• Colorado,1876—“theCentennialState”• 1889-1890—sixnewstates:NorthDakota,SouthDakota,Montana,Washington,Idaho,Wyoming

• AfterMormonChurchbannedpolygamyin1890,Utahadmittedin1896

VIII.TheFarWestComesofAge(cont.)

• Oklahoma,“theBeautifulLand:”– Scoresofovereager andwell-armed “sooners” illegallyentered Oklahoma Territory

– Had tobeevicted repeatedly by federal troops– All was ready legally onApril 22, 1889and some50,000“boomers” poised expectantlyonboundary line

– Atnoon, ahorde of“eighty-niners” poured in– Thatnight, cityofGuthrie, with more than10,000 people,born

– Endof1889, Oklahoma boasted 60,000 inhabitants, andCongress made ita territory

– In1907 itbecame“Sooner State”

IX.TheFadingFrontier

• In1890—a watershed date– Superintendentofcensusannounced:

• ForfirsttimeinAmerica'sexperience,afrontierlinenolongerdiscernible

• “Closing” offrontierinspiredoneofmostinfluentialessayseverwrittenaboutAmericanhistory

– Frederick JacksonTurner's “The Significance of theFrontierinAmerican History” in1893

– Secretaryofwarprophesiedin1827thatfivehundredyearswouldbeneededtofillWest

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IX.TheFadingFrontier(cont.)

• Nationsoonrecognizedthatlandnotinexhaustible:– Actions taken topreserve vanishing resources– Government setaside land fornational parks—first Yellow-stone in1872, followed byYosemite andSequoia in1890

• Frontiermorethanaplace:– Also a stateofmind;a symbol ofopportunity– Itspassing ended romantic phase ofnation's internaldevelopment

– Created neweconomic andpsychological problems

• Frontieras“safetyvalve:”– Theory thatwhen hard times came,unemployed whocluttered citymovedwest, tookup farming, andprospered


• Truthabout“safetyvalve”:– Fewcitydwellers migrated to frontier during depressions– Most didn't know how to farm– Fewcould raiseenough money to transport themselveswest and thenpay for livestock andexpensive machinery

• Doeshavesomevalidity:– Freeacreagedid lure toWest ahost of immigrants farmers– Very possibility ofwestern migration mayhave inducedurban employers tomaintain wage rateshigh enough todiscourage workers from leaving

• RealsafetyvalvebylatenineteenthcenturyincitieslikeChicago,Denver,andSanFrancisco:

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– Where failed farmers, busted miners, anddisplacedeasterners found ways toseek their fortunes

– After 1880, area fromRockyMountains toPacific Coastmost urbanized region inAmerica

– Trans-MississippiWestformedadistinctchapter:• NativeAmericanswagedtheirlastandmostdesperatestruggleagainstcolonization

– Where most NativeAmericans live today

• There“Anglo” culturecollidedmostdirectlywithHispanicculturefordominanceinNewWorld

– Southwest remains most Hispanicized region in America


– ThereAmericans facedacross Pacific toAsia, and theremost Asians American dwell today

– Severityofenvironment there:» Posed largest challenges tohumanabilities» Itsaridity andstill-magical emptiness, continues tomold social andpolitical life

– Inno other region has federalgovernment:» With its vast landholdings, its subsidies torailroads, itsmassive irrigation projects playedso conspicuous aroleineconomic andsocial development


• MysticalproportionsinAmericanmind:– Immortalized by:

» Writers suchasBretHare, MarkTwain, Helen HuntJackson, Francis Parkman

» Painters such asGeorgeCatlin, Frederic Remington,Albert Bierstadt

– Forbetterorworse, pioneers planted seeds ofAmericancivilization in immense western wilderness

– The lifewe live, theydreamedof; the life they lived, wecanonlydream

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X.TheFarmBecomesaFactory– Farmingchangedwithgrowingsingle“cash”crops,suchaswheatorcorn:

– Used profits tobuy foodstuffs atgeneral store– And manufactured goods in town orbymailorder– Chicago firmofAaron Montgomery Ward sentout its firstcatalogue—a singesheet—in 1872

• Farmersbecomingconsumersandproducers• Large-scalefarmersnowspecialistsandbusinesspeople

– Intimately tied tobanking, railroading, andmanufacturing– Had tobuyexpensive machinery toplant andharvest crops– Apowerful steamengine could dragbehind itsimultaneously theplow, seeder, andharrow

X.TheFarmBecomesaFactory(cont.)

– Speedofharvesting dramatically increased in1880s by“combine”—combined reaper-thresher

– Widespread useof suchequipment required first-classmanagement

• Mechanizationofagriculture:– Drovemany farmersoff land– Miracles ofproduction, madeAmerica world's breadbasketandbutcher shop

– Farmattained status offactory—an outdoor grain factory– Bonanza wheat farmsofMinnesota-North Dakotaenormous

» Foreshadowed giganticagribusinesses of1900s

X.TheFarmBecomesaFactory(cont.)

• AgriculturebigbusinessinCalifornia:– Phenomenally productive Central Valley– California's farms three times larger than national average– With adventof railroad refrigerator carin 1880s, Californiafruits andvegetable, raised onsprawling tractsby ill-paidmigrant MexicanandChinese farmhands, sold athandsomeprofit inurban marketsofEast

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XI.DeflationDooms theDebtor

• Farmers' financial situations:– Aslongaspricesstayedhighallwentwell

• Grainframersnolongermastersoftheirdestinies:– Priceofproduct determined inworld marketbyworld output

• Lowpricesandadeflatedcurrencywerechiefworriesoffrustratedfarmers

• Deflationarypinchondebtorflowedpartlyfromstaticmoneysupply:

– Simply notenough dollars togoaround, andasa result,prices forceddown

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XI.DeflationDooms theDebtor(cont.)

– Farmerscaughtonatreadmill:• Operatedyearafteryearatalossandlivedofftheirfatasbesttheycould

• Farmmachineryincreasedoutputofgrain,loweredtheprice,anddrovethemdeeperintodebt

• Mortgagesengulfedhomesteadsatanalarmingrate• Ruinousratesofinterest,runningfrom8to40%,chargedonmortgages

• SonsanddaughterscriedoutindespairagainstloansharksandWallStreetoctopus

• Farmtenancy,ratherthanfarmownership,spread

XII.Unhappy Farmers

– EvenMothernatureconspiredagainstfarmers:• Mile-widecloudsofgrasshoppersleft“nothingbutthemortgage”

• Cotton-bollweevilwreakedhavocinSouthby1890s• Goodearthgoingsour:

– Floods added toerosion– Expensive fertilizers urgently needed– Longsuccessions ofdrought seared land

• Farmersgougedbygovernments:– Local, state andnational over-assessed their land, causingthemtopaypainful local taxes,high protective tariffs

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XII.Unhappy Farmers(cont.)

– Farmers“farmed” bycorporations andprocessors– Atmercyofharvester trust, barbed-wire trust and fertilizertrust—all whocontrolled output and raised prices toextortionate levels

– Middlemen took juicy“cut”– Railroad octopus hadgrain growers in their grip

• Farmersstillmadeup½ofpopulationin1890:– Hopelessly disorganized– Farmersbynature independent and individualistic

– Neverorganized successfully to restrict production untilforced todosobyRoosevelt's NewDeal

– What theydidmanage toorganize wasamonumentalpolitical uprising

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XIII.TheFarmersTakeTheirStand– Agrarianunrest:

• FirstflaredwithGreenbackmovement:– Farmersunsuccessfully demanded in1868 relief fromhighprices andhigh indebtedness bycalling for inflation ofcurrencywith paper

• NationalGrangeofthePatronsofHusbandry—betterknownastheGrange

– Organized in1876 ,with help ofOliver. H.Kelley– First objective was toenhance lives of isolated farmersthrough social, educational, and fraternalactivities

– Grange's picnics, concerts, and lectures agod-send to isolated farmers

– Claimed 800,000 members, chiefly inMidwest and South

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XIII.TheFarmersTakeTheirStand(cont.)

• Grangersraisedtheirgoals:– From individual self-improvement to improvement of farmers' collective plight

– Established cooperatively owned stores forconsumers– Cooperatively owned grain elevators andwarehouses forproducers

– Attempted tomanufacture harvesting machinery

• EmbitteredGrangerswentintopolitics:– Chiefly in I llinois, Wisconsin, Iowa,andMinnesota– Through legislation theystrove to:

» Regulate railway ratesand storage fees» SomeGrangerLaws badlywritten

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XIII.TheFarmersTakeTheirStand(cont.)

– Following judicial reverses, chieflybySupreme Court inWabashcaseof1886 (seeChap 24),Granger influence faded

– Organization lived onasvocal champion of farm interests, whilebrightening rural lifewith social activities

• Farmers' grievancesfoundventinGreenbackLaborparty:– Combined inflationary appeal with program for improving lot oflabor

– High-water markofmovement in 1878:» Polled overamillion votes andelected fourteen members ofCongress

» Presidential election of1880, Greenbackers ran JamesWeaver, but onlypolled 3%of totalpopular vote

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XIV.PreludetoPopulism– Farmer'sAlliance:

• FoundedinTexasinlate1870s(seeChap.23)• Astrikingmanifestationofruraldiscontent• Farmerscametogethertobreakgripofrailroadsandmanufacturersthroughcooperativebuyingandselling

• By1890membersnumberedmorethanamillion• Movementweakeneditselfbyignoringplightoflandlesstenantfarmers,sharecroppersandfarmworkers

• Evenmoredebilitatingwasexclusionofblacks,whowerenearlyhalftheagriculturalpopulationofSouth

XIV.PreludetoPopulism(cont.)

• In1880sseparateColoredFarmers' NationalAlliance:– Emerged toattractblack farmers– By1890hadmembership of250,000– Longhistory of racialdivision inSouthmade itdifficult forwhite andblack farmers towork together

– Populists: thePeople'sparty• Frustratedfarmersattacked“moneytrust;”calledfor:

– Nationalizing railroads, telephone, and telegraph– Agraduated income tax– Anew federal“subtreasury” toprovide loans to farmers

– Wanted freeandunlimited coinage of silver

XIV.PreludetoPopulism(cont.)

• ManyfieryprophetsforPopulistcause:– Freecoinageof silver struck manyPopulists ascure-all– Coin's Financial School (1894)byWilliam HopeHarvey:

» Enormously popular pamphlet for freesilver– Ignatius Donnelly ofMinnesota, elected three times toCongress

– MaryElizabeth Lease—queen ofPopulist “calamityhowlers”

• Populistsleadingdeadlyearnestandimpassionedcampaigntorelievefarmers'manymiseries

• Earnedmorethanamillionvotesin1892presidentialelectionfortheircandidate,JamesWeaver

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XV.Coxey's Armyand thePullmanStrike

• Populists sawpotential political allies:– Coxey'sArmy:

• Mostfamousmarcherwas“General” JacobS.Coxey:– Setout forWashington, D.C.in1894– Platform demanded government relieve unemployment byan inflationary public works program

» Supported by$500 million in legal tender notes tobeissued byTreasury

– Coxeyandhis marchesarrested as theyentered Washington

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XV.Coxey'sArmyandthePullmanStrike(cont.)

– Violentflare-upsaccompaniedlaborprotests,notablyinChicago—Pullman strike of1894:• EugeneV.DebsorganizedAmericanRailwayUnionof150,000members:

• PullmanPalaceCarCompany,hithardbydepression,cutwagesbyabout1/3,butkeptrentssame:

– Workers finally struck

– American Federation ofLabordeclined tosupport strike– Governor John PeterAltgeld ofI llinois:

» A friend of thedowntrodden (hadpardoned HaymarketSquare anarchists theyearbefore) didn't seestrike asoutofhand

XV.Coxey'sArmyandthePullmanStrike(cont.)

– Attorney General Richard Olney:» Archconservative andanex-railroad attorney urged dispatch of federal troops

» His legal grounds were strike interfered with U.S.mail» President Cleveland supported Olney» Todelight ofconservatives, federal troops, bayonetsfixed, crushed Pullman strike

» Debssentenced tosixmonths' imprisonment forcontempt ofcourt becausehedefied a federalinjunction tocease striking

– Embittered criesof“government by injunction” burst fromorganized labor

» First time this legalweapon used tobreak astrike

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XVI.GoldenMcKinleyandSilverBryan

• Electionof1896:– Leading Republican candidate William McKinley:

» Sponsored tariffbill of1890» Creditable Civil War record» Hailed frompotent stateofOhio

» Longyearsofhonorable service in Congress– As apresidential candidate, McKinley thecreature of fellowOhioan, businessman Marcus Alonzo Hanna:

» Coveted roleofpresident maker» Wholehearted Hamiltonian, Hannabelieved primefunction ofgovernment was toaid business

» Becamepersonification ofbig industry inpolitics» Believed prosperity “trickled down” to laborer

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XVI.GoldenMcKinley andSilverBryan(cont.)

• Republicanconvention:– Hannaorganized preconvention campaign forMcKinley withconsummate skill and liberal outpouring ofhisown money

– McKinley nominated on first ballot inSt. Louis– Convention:

» Declared forgold standard» Condemned hard times and Democratic incapacity» Praised protective tariff

• Democraticcampindissension:– Cleveland no longer ledhis party:

» Depression drove lastnail into his political coffin» “TheStuffedProphet” mostunpopular man incountry

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• Clevelandrememberedbylabor-debtorgroupsfor:– His intervention inPullman strike– His intervention inbackstairs Morgan bond deal– His stubborn hard-money policies

• Ultraconservativeinfinance,ClevelandlookedmoreRepublicanthanDemocratonmoneyissue

• DemocraticconventionmetinChicago,July1896:– Delegates byvoteof564 to357 refused toendorse theirown administration

– Hadenthusiasm and numbers; all they lackedwas aleader

– NewMoses appeared inperson ofWilliam Jennings BryanofNebraska, known as“BoyOrator of thePlatte”


– Radiated honesty, sincerity, and energy– Delivered ferventplea for silver

» Cross ofGold speech asensation

– Nominated nextdayon fifthballot– Platform demanded inflation through unlimited coinageofsilver at ratioof16ounces of silver to1ofgold

» Market ratio about 32to1» Meant silver inadollar would beworth fiftycents

• Democraticpartymembers:– Somebolted partyover silver issue– Charged thePopulist-silverite s hadstolen bothnameandclothes of theparty


– Populistsnowfaceddilemma:• Democratshadappropriatedtheirmainplank—“16to1” that“heaven-bornratio”

• BulkofPopulists,fearinghard-moneyMcKinleyendorsed“fusion” withDemocratsandBryanforpresident

– Sacrificed their identity inmix– Handful oforiginal Populists refused tosupport Bryan

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p601

XVII.ClassConflict:PlowholdersVersusBondholders

– Campaignissues:• Hannaassumeditwouldbetariff• Bryancampaignedwidelyonbehalfoffreesilver:

– Created panicamong eastern conservatives

– “Gold Bugs” responded with unlimited coinage ofverbalattacksonBryanas“madman,” etc.

• Republicans:– McKinleyites amassed most formidable campaign chest thusfar inU.S.history byfundraising fromtrusts andplutocrats:

» Atall levels—national, state, local—amounted toabout$16million

» Incontrast to$1million Democrats raised

Map 26-6 p602

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XVII.Class Conflict:PlowholdersVersus Bondholers (cont.)

» Bryanites accusedHannaofbuying election and offloatingMcKinley toWhite House on tidal waveofmud, money,and“dirty tricks” (use of strong-arm fear tacticsbyemployers)

• Electionreturns-- McKinleytriumpheddecisively:– 271 to176 inElectoral College– 7,102,246 to6,492,559 inpopular vote– Drivenby fearandexcitement, anunprecedented outpouring ofvoters flocked topolls

– McKinley ranstrong inpopulous East, carryingeverycountyofNewEngland and inupper Mississippi Valley

– Bryan's states concentrated indebt-burdened Southand trans-Mississippi West (see Map26.6)

XVII.Class Conflict:PlowholdersVersus Bondholders (cont.)

– Free-silverelectionof1896perhapsmostsignificantpoliticalturningpointsinceLincoln'svictoriesin1860and1864:• DespiteBryan'sstrengthinSouthandWest:

– Results vividly demonstrated his lackofappeal to theunmortgaged farmer and theeastern urban laborer

– Manywageearners in Eastvoted for their jobs and fulldinner pails—

» threatened byfreesilver, free trade, fireless factories

» Livingona fixedwage, factoryworkers had no reason tofavor inflation, which was heartofBryanites's program


– Bryan-McKinleybattleheraldedadventofnewerainAmericanpolitics:• Underprivilegedmanyagainstprivilegedfew,• Ofindebtedbackcountryagainstcity,• Ofagrariansagainstindustrialists,• OfMainStreetagainstWallStreet,• Ofthenobodiesagainstthesomebodies

– Outcomearesoundingwinforbigbusiness,bigcities,middle-classvalues,andfinancialconservatism

– 1896=lastefforttowinentirelybyfarmingvote

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p603


– GrandOldParty'ssmashingvictoryof1896:• HeraldedaRepublicangriponWhiteHousefornext16years

• McKinley'selectionimpartednewcharactertopoliticalsystemwithfourthpartysystem:

– Diminishing voterparticipation inelections– Weakening ofpartyorganizations– Money question andcivil-service reformfadedas issues– Replaced byconcern for industrial regulation andwelfare oflabor

– Contrast with “third party system” (1860-1896) ofhigh voterturnouts andclose contests between Democrats andRepublicans

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XVIII.RepublicanStand-pattismEnthroned

– McKinleytookinauguraloathin1897:• Cautious,conservativenaturecausedhimtoshyawayfromreform

– Business givena free rein

– Trusts allowed todevelop without serious restraints

• Tariffissueforceditselftoforefront:– Wilson-Gorman law not raising enough revenue tocover annual Treasury deficits

– Trusts thought theyhad right toadditional tariffprotectionbecause of their contributions toHanna's warchest

XVIII.RepublicanStand-pattismEnthroned(cont.)

• DingleyTariffBilljammedthroughHousein1897under“Czar” Reed

– Proposed rateshigh, butnotenough tosatisfy lobbyists whodescended upon Senate

– Over850amendments tackedonto overburdened bill– Resulting patchwork established average ratesat46.5%:

» Substantially higher thanDemocraticWilson-GormanActof1894

» Insome categories evenhigher than McKinley Actof1890 (Seechart inAppendix)

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– Prosperitybegantoreturnin1897,firstyearofMcKinley'sterm:• Depression(1893)hadrunitscourse• Farmpricesrose;wheelsofindustryresumed• Republicansclaimedcreditforprosperity• GoldStandardAct1900,passedoverlast-ditchsilveriteopposition:

– Provided paper currencybe redeemed freely ingold

– Discoveries brought hugequantities ofgold onto world markets– As didperfected cheapcyanideprocess forextracting gold fromlow-grade ore


• Moderateinflationtookcareofcurrencyneedsofexpandingnationasitscirculatorysystemgreatlyimproved

• Tideof“silverheresy” rapidlyreceded• “Popocratic” fishleftgaspinghigh&dryongolden-sandedbeach

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chapter 26 lecture - oak park independent · 10/28/16 1 chapter 26 ... conquest of continent iv....

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